Is this the official text of the FARs?

The text under each summary is the eCFR's, word for word, and each page links to the section on ecfr.gov. The eCFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register and is the current text. The plain-English summary above it is ours.

The official text is refreshed from the eCFR every week, and every page says the date its text is current as of and when the section was last amended. When a section changes, its summary is reread before the page shows the new text.

Why these sections and not all of Part 91?

These are the rules a new aircraft owner, a new flight school, a mechanic, an instructor or a renter actually looks up: the ones where the answer changes what you do this week. More are added over time.

Is a FAR the same as 14 CFR?

Yes. The Federal Aviation Regulations are Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, so FAR 91.409 and 14 CFR 91.409 are the same rule.

14 CFR, explained

FAA regulations in plain English

The 52 sections of the FARs that aircraft owners, flight schools, mechanics, instructors and renters look up most. Each one starts with the answer, explains the rule paragraph by paragraph, and shows the official text underneath.

Owning an aircraft

New owners, clubs and leaseback owners

Who is responsible for airworthiness, what has to be on board, and what you may fly with when something is broken.

91.403The owner is responsible for airworthinessThe owner or operator is primarily responsible for keeping the aircraft airworthy, and that includes complying with every Airworthiness Directive. The mechanic does the work, but the duty to have it done sits with the owner.
91.405Maintenance the owner must have doneThe owner or operator must have the aircraft inspected as Part 91 requires and have discrepancies repaired between inspections. They must also make sure the mechanic logs every return to service and placards anything left inoperative.
91.407Flying after maintenance or alterationAfter any maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding or alteration, the aircraft cannot fly until an authorized person approves it for return to service and the logbook entry is made. Work that may have changed how it flies also needs a test flight by at least a private pilot before passengers ride along.
91.7Flying only an airworthy aircraftNo one may operate a civil aircraft that is not airworthy. The pilot in command decides whether the aircraft is in condition for safe flight and must end the flight if an unairworthy condition appears.
91.9Flight manual, markings and placardsYou must fly within the operating limitations in the approved flight manual and on the aircraft's markings and placards. A current approved flight manual, or the approved manual material and placards for older aircraft, has to be in the aircraft.
91.203Documents required on boardEvery civil aircraft must carry a current airworthiness certificate and an effective registration certificate. The airworthiness certificate has to be displayed at the cabin or cockpit entrance where passengers or crew can read it.
91.205Required instruments and equipmentA powered aircraft with a standard airworthiness certificate must have specific instruments and equipment working for each kind of flight. Day VFR has a basic list, night VFR adds lights and fuses, and IFR adds gyros, a clock and suitable radios.
91.213Flying with inoperative equipmentYou may take off with inoperative equipment only under an approved Minimum Equipment List, or, for most small piston aircraft without one, if the item is not required for the flight, is removed or deactivated and placarded, and is judged not to be a hazard.
47.40Registration expiration and renewalA Certificate of Aircraft Registration expires seven years after the last day of the month it was issued. You can renew it with AC Form 8050-1B and the fee during the six months before the expiration date.

Required inspections

Owners, flight schools and mechanics

The annual, the 100-hour, and the checks that come due on their own clocks: transponder, pitot-static, ELT and VOR.

Maintenance and records

Owners and mechanics

Who may work on an aircraft, who may sign it off, what each logbook entry must say, and what an owner must keep.

Airworthiness Directives

Owners and mechanics

What an AD is, what happens if you fly without complying, and the ways around one: an alternative method or a ferry permit.

Pilots and renters

Students, renters and club members

Certificates to carry, how long a medical lasts, the flight review, currency, endorsements, and splitting the cost of a flight.

Instructors and students

Flight instructors and chief instructors

Solo and cross-country endorsements, the private pilot's hours, the records an instructor keeps, and renewing the certificate.

Running a flight school

New flight school and flight business owners

What a Part 141 certificate takes, the people and records it requires, and the letter of authorization for sightseeing flights.

By Part

Questions

Is this the official text of the FARs?: The text under each summary is the eCFR's, word for word, and each page links to the section on ecfr.gov. The eCFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register and is the current text. The plain-English summary above it is ours.
How current is it?: The official text is refreshed from the eCFR every week, and every page says the date its text is current as of and when the section was last amended. When a section changes, its summary is reread before the page shows the new text.
Why these sections and not all of Part 91?: These are the rules a new aircraft owner, a new flight school, a mechanic, an instructor or a renter actually looks up: the ones where the answer changes what you do this week. More are added over time.
Is a FAR the same as 14 CFR?: Yes. The Federal Aviation Regulations are Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, so FAR 91.409 and 14 CFR 91.409 are the same rule.

Official text current as of 2026-10-15. Every summary and citation is also available as JSON and as Markdown.